◆ Last October, a two-year-old child in the United States infected with the new crown received oxygen. Profile picture
◆ The risk of complications of COVID-19 infection in children cannot be ignored. Reuter
◆ The new crown can affect the functions of children's intestines and respiratory tract. Profile picture
◆ American parents take their children to get the new crown vaccine. Reuter
◆ With the resumption of schools everywhere, children have become a group with a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. associated press
In Hong Kong, a number of cases of children recovering from COVID-19 infection developed Child Multi-System Inflammation Syndrome (MIS-C), and some children with severe conditions were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Medical studies in many countries around the world have pointed out that children may have a variety of symptoms after infection with the new crown, in addition to common respiratory infections, there may also be rashes and gastrointestinal inflammation and other symptoms that are rare in adult patients. Experts emphasize that the severe infection rate of children is low, and most of the symptoms are mild, but parents still need to pay close attention to the children's situation, and if there is a serious illness, they need to seek medical treatment in time.
Inflammation of the stomach
Infection causes gastrointestinal bacterial disorders
Increased risk of inflammation
Children's gastrointestinal tract is also the target of new crown virus infection, so some children will also have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after infection. A study in Turkey of children aged 3 to 14 years found that infected children or suffering from children with multisystem inflammation syndrome (MIS-C) have significant changes in the distribution of the gut microbiota in the body compared with healthy children, and some of the beneficial bacteria that can protect the digestive system are low, resulting in more inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
The study selected 20 infected children and 25 children with MIS-C and compared them with data from 19 healthy children. Six of the children with MIS-C tested positive for COVID-19 and 13 had ANTIBODIES, proving that they had been infected. The control found that in children with MIS-C, the bacteroides were high in bacteroides, and some of them could become pathogens that trigger inflammation. Healthy children are rich in thick-walled phylum bacteria, including a large number of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli, which help promote digestion. The content of Clostridium pratissii in infected children and children with MIS-C is also significantly low, which can easily lead to intestinal dysbiosis and increase the risk of gastrointestinal inflammation.
6 hours without urination should be consulted
Scott, a pediatric endocrinologist at Oklahoma City Medical Center in the United States, suggests that if parents find that their children have mild gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, they can let their children drink water appropriately or take oral rehydration solutions to avoid dehydration, and follow the doctor's advice to take medicine. However, if the infant or young child does not urinate for more than 6 hours, or has obvious symptoms such as blood in the stool, difficulty breathing, fever, etc., it is necessary to seek medical attention as soon as possible. ◆ Comprehensive reporting
Cardiovascular problems
Resume exercise after recovery
Severely ill children should be screened additionally
Cardiovascular disease is a rare complication after childhood infection, the American Heart Association recently issued a statement pointing out that the symptoms of myocarditis and other symptoms of childhood infection can basically be treated, and the probability of aggravation caused by congenital heart disease in children is also low. Children can safely resume exercise or participate in physical activity after the signs of heart discomfort have subsided, although additional screening is recommended when severely infected children recover.
The statement explained that viral infections are the most common cause of myocarditis in children. In addition to myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the fibrous sacs surrounding the heart), the cardiac complications of covid-19 infection include cardiogenic shock, that is, abnormal blood flow caused by ventricular dysfunction, usually with symptoms such as hypotension, weakness, and difficulty breathing. Experts point out that most children with childhood multisystem inflammation syndrome (MIS-C) after infection will have their hearts return to normal within 1 to 4 weeks of diagnosis, and the risk of long-term sequelae or death due to MIS-C is estimated to be 1.4% to 1.9%.
Experts point out that children with no symptoms of infection or mild symptoms can safely return to the sports field after recovery, but it is recommended that children with severe disease or MIS-C complications should undergo appropriate cardiovascular examinations before resuming exercise, including electrocardiograms, blood tests for heart enzyme levels, and other cardiac function screenings.
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Skin inflammation
Children with COVID-19 signs The rash is more common in the fingers and toes
Skin inflammation is usually less common in adults, but the American Academy of Dermatology notes that rash may be the only obvious sign of infection in some children. The rash is more common on the fingers or toes of children and can gradually turn from red to purple, with swelling of the fingers and toes and the appearance of a small amount of pus. These rashes usually resolve spontaneously, but if the rash persists for a long time and children develop signs such as fever or cough, they should seek medical attention.
The British Medical Journal last year recorded a case of a 14-month-old baby boy in Lisbon, Portugal. He had a fever and vomiting before his medical treatment, and after admission, he tested positive for the new crown virus and had no respiratory signs such as cough. However, on the second day of hospitalization, the baby boy developed a clear rash that spread to the chest, abdomen, limbs, palms and feet, and a large area of bruising appeared on the face, and the symptoms lasted for about 3 days. Medical diagnosis suggests that these rashes originate from acute hemorrhagic edema (AHEI) in infants, which cause a large rash and fever on the body, but do not cause pain.
The doctor in charge of the diagnosis and treatment pointed out that AHEI is a less common complication of the disease, usually mild, and the baby boy who developed the rash recovered after two weeks of antibiotic treatment. However, doctors caution that rashes in children can last for a long time or require intervention. Some children with children with multi-system inflammation syndrome (MIS-C) also have a rash, conjunctival hyperemia, swelling of the hands and feet and other symptoms, and severe children need to seek medical attention in time.
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Respiratory tract infections
Upper respiratory tract stenosis in young children Wheezing symptoms can worsen rapidly
At present, the Omicron variant of the dominant strain in many parts of the world mainly infects the upper respiratory tract, and the upper respiratory tract in children is narrower and more susceptible to being affected. The Journal of Pediatrics of the American Medical Association recently released a study showing that the Omicron variant is more likely to cause upper respiratory tract infections in children, with symptoms similar to throat tracheobronchitis (also known as wheezing) and bronchiolitis, and severe disease can also exacerbate the risk of complications such as heart disease.
The study found that the proportion of infected children in the United States with upper respiratory tract infections has risen from 1.5% from March to May last year to 4.1% from December to February this year. 21.1% of children who are hospitalized for upper respiratory tract infections are severely ill and need instruments to assist breathing. The team pointed out that the Omicron variant replicates faster within human bronchial tissue, but has a weak ability to replicate in lung tissue, meaning that infection leads to a lower risk of severe lung disease, but an increased risk of upper respiratory tract infection.
Croup is usually caused by the parainfluenza virus, which can cause children to have trouble breathing and make loud coughing sounds. Experts remind that most of the wheezing symptoms are mild and can be recovered at home, but for very young children with a trachea only the diameter of a pencil, the croup condition may deteriorate rapidly, and parents need to pay attention to the fact that if the child has obvious discomfort, it is necessary to send it to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
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Choshinkan
Normal learning or interference
Severe can affect development
After children recover from infection, they may also have long-term COVID-19 sequelae similar to those of adults. A survey in the UK last September found that about 2 to 14 percent of 3,065 adolescents aged 11 to 17 who recovered from the epidemic still felt tired, headache or shortness of breath after 15 weeks of testing positive. Medical experts said that the new crown may interfere with children's normal learning and life, and the situation may even affect development, but most children have improved their symptoms within a few months after treatment.
Oliveira, a pediatrician at the New Crown Rehabilitation Program at Yale University Hospital in the United States, pointed out that the sequelae of children's new crown may come from organ damage caused by infection. Due to the weak immune system of children, the new crown virus can invade multiple organs, causing diseases such as pericarditis and pancreatitis, and complications such as long-term breathing disorders in severe patients. Some studies have also pointed out that in some infected children, residual viruses may stay in the intestines, causing long-term gastrointestinal diseases. Oliveira believes that this may explain that the symptoms of "growing new crown" in children are not exactly similar to those of adults, for example, children are less likely to have neurological problems such as "brain fog", but often feel dizzy, abdominal pain or muscle pain.
Buon Sanso, a pediatrician at the University Hospital of Gemelli in Italy, said that two-thirds to three-quarters of the children currently admitted to the treatment of long-term COVID-19 will recover after three months of infection, and about 10% to 20% of children who have not recovered for a long time. Some symptoms can be controlled by medication or relieved by rehabilitation. The medical community is also studying how vaccinate children with long-term COVID-19 against COVID-19, or help clear their bodies of residual viruses, effectively alleviating the disease.
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